NCJ Number
215272
Date Published
2006
Length
35 pages
Annotation
This chapter takes lessons learned from England to illustrate some of the complexity of the implementation process in crime prevention projects and how this can impact upon the likelihood of a project’s success.
Abstract
Practitioners are cautioned to be aware of the balance that needs to be struck between the overall benefits of a crime prevention project and the risks of implementation failure. While certain types of plans might look beneficial on paper and yield positive returns, it is important to be aware that there may be an increased risk of implementation failure. Tables are presented that could be used as a rough guide to implementers when considering different options at the planning stage of an intervention, as well as guide the implementation process. The first table presents a generic classification of different crime prevention plans (i.e. what type of scheme is it, who are the targets, who is implementing, and how intense is the scheme). The second table entails the potential benefits of plans with different elements of the plan. The third table indicates the resilience of different plan elements to implementation failure (i.e. lack of experience, theory failure, under-resourcing, high staff turnover, no champion, lack of infrastructure, lack of exit strategy, red tape, slow implementation, and displacement). This chapter provides a typology to help practitioners easily identify the types of plans which will be less risky to implement. Whatever strategy taken, it is recommended that the practitioner be aware of potential implementation problems prior to implementation. The chapter also illustrates some of the issues raised by discussing four case studies. Each crime intervention project was classified on the basis of the criteria outlined in the tables. There is nothing wrong with taking a high-risk strategy; however the practitioner needs to walk into it with eyes wide open. Tables and references